About this podcast

Join our SkyWatch hosts for conversation highlighting news from the world of astronomy. Listen in via your computer or MP3 player as they bring the latest discoveries down to Earth. SkyWatch also includes HubbleWatch, a round-up of news from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.

Comments

Skywatch

Download this episode

Shownotes

The Sun will be around for about another 5 billion years.
After that, the Sun will have exhausted the hydrogen fuel it
uses for fusion. Its outer atmosphere will swell, vaporizing
the Earth's atmosphere and boiling the seas. Scientists wonder
if there is a way to extend the Sun's life.
Hydrogen is converted to helium during fusion, releasing
energy in the Sun's core. This energy is transported through
the surface. When the fuel is exhausted, a lot of hydrogen will
still be left throughout the structure of the Sun. Perhaps
scientists could figure out how to transport that unused
hydrogen into the Sun's core.
Alternately, smaller-mass stars burn their fuel more slowly.
Is there a way to remove mass from the sun? Both ideas are
pretty tricky since the Sun is comprised of hot plasma.